Under The Bridge
by A Nobody
Summary: One rainy night, Ryoga sits alone and ponders life, love, and the true nature of his most powerful attack.


Rumiko Takahashi created Ranma. Red Hot Chili Peppers own Under the Bridge. Not mine. Don't sue.

Author's Note: I didn't really plan on writing this. I was listening to my Ipod and the Chili Peppers' song came on and it just hit me that the lyrics reminded me of Ryoga. The idea's been stuck in my head for a while now so I'm just going to write this up real quick and, who knows, maybe it'll go over well!

I love reviews! It makes us all better writers.

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Under the Bridge

by

A Nobody

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Another rainy day; another day where Ryoga wouldn't be in Nerima. The rain cascaded down as Ryoga hid in his super reinforced waterproof tent and hoped that the rain would just stop and go away. Of course the wetness wouldn't listen to his pleas and the rain just continued to drop. Ryoga sighed and resigned himself to his fate. Traveling as P-chan wasn't an option; and besides, he wanted to make it to Akane as himself, opposed to as her pet pig.

_Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partner_

_Sometimes I feel like my only friend is_

_The city I live in_

_The city of angels_

_Lonely as I am, together we cry_

He hated it. There was no doubt that most any other guy would envy his situation. Akane Tendo was the light at the end of the tunnel; the girl that all guys held on a pedestal. He had the opportunity to sleep with her and come back for seconds--what guy could honestly refuse? Bullshit. Akane Tendo was the woman that had captured his heart of glass. She was the most compassionate being in existence and everytime he entered that bed in her arms he was wronging her. He wanted to tell her the truth, about everything, but he feared losing her friendship more than anything else. He was a coward. And a swine. It was the one thing that he agreed with Ranma on.

_I drive on her streets 'cuz she's my companion_

_I walk through her hills 'cuz she knows who I am_

_She sees my good deeds and_

_She kisses the windy_

_I never worry, now that is a lie_

Ranma. Now there was an interesting topic. They were rivals, as if it were something predestined by the fate itself. Ranma needed competition and he needed to channel his anger. Fighting with Ranma was one of the few things in the world that truly made him feel **alive**. Pushing himself day by day to get stronger, become a better man, gave him purpose. It kept his mind off the fact that he was constantly lost. He dreamt of the day when he would defeat Ranma and sweep Akane off of her feet. It's strange: Although defeating Ranma was the ultimate goal Ryoga could honestly say that he didn't hate Ranma. In fact, the guy was the closest thing he had to a "friend."

_I don't ever want to feel like I did that day_

_Take me to the place of love, take me all the way_

_I don't ever want to feel like I did that day_

_Take me to the place of love, take me all the way_

There was Ukyo, he supposed. Ukyo Kuonji was, if anything, his partner in crime. They shared two halves of the same goal--the demise of the Ranma-Akane union. But was she a friend? His initial reaction was hell no. All Ukyo cared about was "Ranchan," and only used him as a tool to distract Akane long enough for her to get some coveted alone time. It was definitely the truth, but he had a feeling that he was forgetting something in his hasty anger. Like the free okonomiyaki or the rare conversations. It made him realize that Ukyo was no different than himself, a schmuck in love. They actually got along pretty well, now that he thought about it, and always had each others backs when it came down to it.

_It's hard to believe that there's nobody out there_

_It's hard to believe that I'm all alone_

_At least I have her love_

_The city she loves me_

_Lonely as I am, together we cry_

Great. So now he has two demi-friends and one love interest that thinks he's a pig, literally. It sure was depressing, but that was life for you. He had been taught from a young age that the only person you could really depend on was yourself. Perhaps, being a Hibiki, this advice was blown to extremes, but it was what he tried to live his life by. Ryoga loved his independence and, even if it was a hindrance, his horrid sense of direction played a vital role. How many other people would be able to survive his life? Waking up in Japan and falling asleep in China (still don't remember catching a boat), being away from loved ones for months at a time, surviving in the harshest climates and, worst of all, seeing your parents no more than once a year...if it was a good year.

_I don't ever want to feel like I did that day_

_Take me to the place of love, take me all the way_

_I don't ever want to feel like I did that day_

_Take me to the place of love, take me all the way_

Sensing a Shi Shi Hokudan approaching quickly, Ryoga struggled to think of happy thoughts. He knew that the attack was a dangerous one--come on now it fed off his depression--but also his strongest. Now that was irony. Shit! That wasn't happy at all. Cute bunnies? Nope, that only reminded him of the cute bunny he had eaten for dinner. The rain poured down even harder, as if it wanted him to stay unbalanced. Unbalanced, ha! That was just the fancy term. Monstrous was better, in his opinion. It's how he felt: rooted in his own depression struggling to escape yet craving its power all the same--monstrous. He felt its power pushing him over the edge, off of a huge cliff that he didn't want to climb to begin with. He felt himself blanking out and "it" taking over. It was too late.

"Shi Shi Hokudan!"

_Under the bridge up town_

_Is where I drew some blood_

_Under the bridge up town_

_I could not get enough_

_Under the bridge up town_

_Forgot about my love_

And just like that it was over. Gone was the pain and the anguish; and in its wake laid a euphoric Ryoga. He was only this happy when he shot off a Shi Shi Hokudan and he knew it. It was unhealthy to tweak his emotions like this, he also knew, but it felt like he couldn't stop. It was like a blackhole, constantly sucking in and never giving back. Well, unless he counted this heavenly sensation. As he closed his eyes in happiness he wondered why he had tried to fight off the blast to begin with. The rain, if possible, came down even harder then before but Ryoga ignored it. He instead thought about Nerima and what would happen when he got back.

_Under the bridge up town_

He'd fight with Ranma, without a doubt. Hahaha, he'd fight him and beat him, too, with the new technique he picked up. But maybe Ranma had new moves of his own? He couldn't wait. Before that he would stop by Ucchan's. Ukyo would probably feed him, she was always talking about how skinny he was. Maybe they could even have a conversation! He'd tell her about France and all the fussy chefs, she'd probably get a kick out of it. Then he would go to Akane and... and what? Tell her he was P-chan? That wouldn't work, but what would? As he pondered he realized that he honestly knew nothing about Akane. He loved her, sure, but what did she like? What was her favorite color? He didn't know. The though brought him down and, before he knew it, the darkness was back. Like an itch begging to be scratched it called him. He sighed, it looked like another Shi Shi Hokudan was on its way.

_I gave my life away_


End file.
